And then there was ten
by C-Wolfeh
Summary: My personal take on how Ben sees each of the aliens he transforms into.
1. Speed

**Title:** Speed  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Gwen Tennyson, XLR8  
**A/N:** Decided to write stories centering around Ben's thoughts on each of his alien forms. Since XLR8 is my favorite, I did him first.

--

XLR8 was one of Ben's favorite transformations. The feel of running at such high speeds was one of the coolest things ever.  
Sure, it was a great form to use when you wanted to play a prank or ten, but it was great for a lot of other reasons.

The speed. The agility. The freedom.

He always felt the freest when he was XLR8. It was one of the reasons Ben changed into the speedster so much. There was something almost carefree about running. It made the alien mind feel completely at ease and there were times when Ben would retreat back and let that other mind take over.

Gwen didn't understand what the big deal was. She didn't understand why it felt so good.  
'It's just a fast lizard.' She would say, rolling her eyes.  
Ben never got upset with her over it, which surprised Gwen every time.

He forgave because he understood.  
She had never tasted real freedom like he had.


	2. Intelligence

**Title:** Intelligence**  
Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Gwen Tennyson, Grey Matter  
**A/N:** Next up in the set, Grey Matter, my second favorite of the aliens.

--

"…And that is why time paradoxes exist." The small gray alien concluded, grinning as Gwen huffed and turned back to her computer.

There was nothing like being smart. Whenever he was Grey Matter, his brain reeled with all the new knowledge the alien mind was giving him. It was amazing how smart the little being was.  
Ben knew everything about everything when he was Grey Matter and could usually get himself out of any sticky situation.

It was a big change of pace going from a form like Heatblast or Ripjaws to Grey Matter.  
The alien may have lacked in the muscle department but he definitely made up for it.

Brains over brawn.  
That's what Grey Matter taught him whenever he transformed. It was a lesson that had saved Ben and his family time and time again.

He also liked being able to outsmart Gwen, but that was just an added bonus.


	3. Power

**Title:** Power  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Fourarms  
**A/N:** By request of kawaii Jen, Fourarms!

-

There was something about lifting up a car that most normal people just wouldn't understand. How many people could do it? None that Ben could think of.

Fourarms was like the ultimate powerhouse and a real warrior on top of it. The alien mindset, while very smart in it's own right, was to win the fight no matter how and no matter what. It scared Ben sometimes but it was one of those things he was learning to deal with.

It was one of those forms that he just had to use. In a lot of situations, it was the only form that would work.

Ben would never admit how good it felt sometimes; how good it felt to rip apart a bus or to bust through a building after an enemy.

Destructive and powerful described Fourarms perfectly.  
It was the form Ben loved and was scared of all at the same time.


	4. Animation

**Title:** Animation

**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Upgrade, Gwen Tennyson 

**A/N:** By request of Emerald Shapeshifter 777, Upgrade!

AND FOR THE RECORD! Since some people don't seem to be catching onto this, these stories are MY OPINION on how Ben views the alien minds that he merges with. YES, I think that the aliens DO have their own mind-set when Ben merges with them and they hint at it constantly through the show. If you don't like the stories, please don't read or if you have something to comment on, be constructive about it.

-

_Please help me._  
The motorcycle roared to life as it was taken over, popping up on its back wheel before shooting off down the street.  
Even as it sped along, Ben got the feeling that Upgrade was still 'talking' to it; getting to know it. 

That was what was cool about Upgrade. The alien mind was so in tune with any inanimate object that was taken over that Ben thought they were speaking to a human sometimes. Even after he had transformed back from Upgrade, he found himself starting to talk to his CD player or Gwen's computer. He would stop himself and resist the urge to slap himself in the forehead.

Upgrade was an easy alien mind to merge with. It was a thinker like Grey Matter, but still had a lot of power like Fourarms. It was a comfortable transformation and the alien mind sometimes even spoke directly to Ben, explaining to him about the different vehicles and machines. It was fun to listen to; a LOT more fun then listening to Gwen.


	5. Grace

**Title:**Grace**  
Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Ripjaws  
**A/N:** By request of Kendell, Ripjaws!

-

Ben had always loved monster movies, so transforming into Ripjaws always made him feel like he was in one.  
But Ripjaws wasn't like the monsters in the movies.  
As strange as it looked, the alien was extremely sleek and oddly graceful. It made swimming a whole new experience for Ben.

Slipping through the water like a submarine but with the speed of a jet ski was a thrill.

It had been scary at first. The first time he had transformed in Ripjaws, the alien mind had been a bit overpowering and before Ben could do anything, he was in the water.  
His first instinct had been to get air, but the alien's first instinct had been to swim.

And they did.

Ben's panic had slowly faded away and his mind fell in sync with the alien. The realization of his gills working made his fear completely disappear.

To Ben, the water around them seemed to disappear and it was like they were flying.  
To the alien, it was home.


	6. Energy

**Title:** Energy  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Heatblast

**A/N:** As requested by cm27815, Heatblast! Sorry for my disappearance as of late. College and being really sick for a few weeks just ate my soul. BUT! I'm back and throwing myself head long into finishing these up! D (Please keep in mind that this was written when I was really sick so if there are any mistakes or it just doesn't flow as well, I'm really sorry!

--

Being made of flames was an odd sensation. Sure, turning into any of his alien counterparts was a little strange, but none of them had that same feel.  
Heatblast's flames seemed to have a life of their own. Ben knew it was impossible but the way they pulsed and moved gave him the sensation of another life, and the sheer energy behind them was intimidating at times.

In reality, he knew too that the fames were attune with the alien mind. The flames were like emotions brought to life.

Ben was always startled whenever he got really angry or upset and the flames would burn brighter; growing in size and strength until he was completely engulfed at times. Sometimes he would just completely lose control of his emotions and all he would remember afterwards was an explosion. It probably didn't help any that the alien mind loved a good thrill and was more then willing to just let loose and let the flames go. It honestly scared Ben the first few times because the alien mind was extremely pushy, very strong willed, but once they connected, the flames became apart of Ben as well.

That's when he knew that there was a sort of life there, and he was the reason for it.  
His energy was the flame's energy and without one, the other could not burn bright.


	7. Endurance

**Title:** Endurance  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Wildmutt  
**A/N:** By request of snowpenguin55, Wildmutt! Same can be said about this fic too. I was sick when I wrote it so if anything seems off I apologize!

--

His senses, or at least the ones he had, were going crazy. His sense of smell was heightened times ten it seemed and the picture painted by it was amazing.

The first time Ben had used Wildmutt, the lack of eyes threw him off. He hadn't sensed the alien mind right away and he had stumbled around blindly, growling and grunting as he tried to figure out what to do.  
Then he felt it.  
There was a slight nudge of sorts and suddenly Ben saw things. He knew where he was and what was around him. The alien mind crept in like an animal surveying the scene and slowly showed Ben how to function.

It was startling just how animalistic the other mind was.  
Everything was either prey or fellow predator and that sometimes meant it was time to attack.

The alien mind was simplistic but had an intelligence all it's own. Wildmutt knew how to dodge in just the right way to counter-attack as quickly as possible and it seemed to be able to go forever.

_Run! Run! Fight!_

XLR8 was fast and could go for a long time but even that form would tire out. Wildmutt had better endurance; it had a pace all it's own. It had a yearning for freedom; that was the best way Ben could explain it.

It just wanted to run, and that's what Ben let it do. 


	8. Determination

**Title:** Determination  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Ben 10  
**Character(s):** Ben Tennyson , Diamondhead  
**A/N:** Next up, Diamondhead.

--

Diamondhead was a natural leader. It had strength and power but never abused it.

Ben had made that mistake the first few times he had merged with the alien. It had been a thrill at the time. He paid the alien mind no heed and jumped head long into battle, but as he fought and began to struggle, something started talking to him. The voice was persistent and forced him to listen. The alien was trying to guide him, to show him how to use his new skills in ways that would work for him.

Letting his mind touch the alien's, Ben felt a surge of determination throughout. He knew what needed to be done. The power was something totally different now.  
It had a purpose; a meaning.

A smirk touched their lips and the battle began anew.

Looking back at it now, he couldn't help but feel bad about having ignored Diamondhead at first. Ben knew that the alien mind held nothing against him and now, when they merged; they were almost perfectly in sync.

Being a leader and using his powers the way they were supposed to be used meant so much more to him now. It wasn't just about using brute force all the time.  
A leader had to be strong of body and of minds. 


End file.
